Reset PC for new owner

[Fred7777]

Hi. I want to pass on my HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower to a relative as I'm about to buy a new G9. It's given very reliable service.

Originally the PC came with Windows 10 Pro, this has been updated to Windows 11 Pro.  I want to get the PC back to factory settings so that the new user can treat as a new PC. I also want to retain various HP features such as 'HP Sure Start' and 'HP Support Assistant'.

If I do a factory reset:

1 Will it revert back to Windows 10?

2 Will Windows be in a new owner state?

3 Will it have deleted all my personal settings? (I hope so!)

4 Will all HP add-ons still be available?

Thanks in advance.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

There is the HP cloud recovery client utility which will create a bootable USB recovery drive.

The cloud recovery tool should remove all of your files and settings.

You will have to run the utility and see if it gives you the option to reinstall W10 or W11 or either.

Read the info at the link below for how use the software and how to install the drivers after Windows has been reinstalled on the drive.

HP Business PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Client in Windows 11 and Windows 10 | HP® Support

Here's the Cloud recovery client file download:

Cloud Recovery Client

This package provides the Cloud Recovery Client for supported models running a supported operating system. This Client Utility enables users to download the Recovery Kit from the cloud.

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp142501-143000/sp142993.exe

If you only have the option to make a W10 recovery drive, the new user can take the free upgrade back to the latest version of W11 by clicking on the blue W11 installation assistant button at the link below (1st option). 

Download Windows 11 (microsoft.com)

[WAWood]

Just understand that even a factory reset only FORMATS the drive -- meaning, it makes the files inaccessible to Windows.

But it does not REMOVE the files.  So all your personal information, including any saved website logins and passwords, and any sensitive information, like banking or account details, is also still there.

Sure, Windows can not see it -- directly -- but any half-decent data recovery app will be able to discover and recover those files that are still intact.

The SAFEST approach, although it is admittedly a LOT of work, is to remove the drive, connect it to another PC, and use special software to WIPE it.  That REMOVES all the data from the drive and no recovery app is then going to be able to retrieve it.

With the USB made from the HP Cloud Recovery, it is then a simple matter to boot from that USB and reinstall the HP OEM version of Windows.

[Fred7777]

Thank you both for the helpful advice. As the EliteDesk has a small 256GB SSD I suspect it would be easier to replace the drive before reinstalling. I'll investigfate this further.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You're very welcome.

There supposedly is a secure erase function in the BIOS if you want to do more than just having the cloud recovery tool re-partition and reformat the drive and then you can use the cloud recovery client recovery drive to factory reset the drive.

See the service manual at the link below, chapter 5, pages 72 & 73.

The secure erase option is at the top of page 73.

c06472102.pdf (hp.com)

Secure Erase

Lets you select a hard drive to completely erase.

Once a hard drive has been erased with a program that utilizes Secure Erase firmware commands, no file recovery program, partition recovery program, or other data recovery method will be able to extract data from the drive.

[Fred7777]

Thanks once again for your help, I'll check this out.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.